Game apparatus



)am 13, 1925. r LSZBM c. FRANKE GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 23, 1925 2 sheets-Sheet 1 ff Z5 N VEN TOR fk arles gwn/fe BY H115'V ATTORNEY Jan. 13, 1925. 1,523,114 C. FRANKE GAME APARATUS Filed Jan. 23, 192.3 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY HIS ATTORNEY j Patented dan. 13, 1925.

UNETED STATES P A 'f E GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed January 23, 1923.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FRANKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Game A pparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The. invention relates to game apparatus, and more particularly to that type of apparatus in which a game piece as a marble, ball or like member is arranged to be projected by a lever device and` be caught in one of a series of pockets.

It has for its object to provide means in apparatus of this type whereby the ball, after having been projected, will automatically be returned to its initial position for further projection.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved game apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views illustrating modifications.

SimilarI characters of reference designate corresponding parts thruout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, 10 designates a horizontal base member from which extends upwardly an inclined open-faced member 11. Over the back of this member and from the top to the base are backing members 12, angularly disposed with reference to each other to provide a return track or gutter 13. Moreover, a plurality of parallel pockets 14 are formed over the forward portion by means of transverse strips or partitions 15, said pockets being open at the back as well as the front. The partitions pitch downwardly and rearwardly so that a game piece projected into a particular pocket will be delivered to the gutter 13 out of the bottom or rear of said pocket; and the said partitions, with the exception of the lowermost one, are set back slightly to assist in returning the ball should it happen to strike an edge.

Extending over the upper surface of the base, substantially from the front to the Serial No. 614,352.

rear and passingl immediately beneath the bottom of the upwardly extending member, is a` lever 20, pivoted to the said base and affording at its rear end a finger piece or portion 21. The said lever, moreover, at the portion beginning immediately beneath the bottom of the upwardly extending member, is provided with a groove 22 which terminates at the forward end of the lever in a pocket as a recess 23 or the like. The same forms a seat for a ball, marble or like spherical game piece 24 which may thus roll through the groove 22 by gravity to said seat. The lowermost partition of the inclined member, moreover, is so placed with reference to the inner end of the Vgroove 22 that should the game piece rebound from the lever, said partition will prevent the game piece from leaving the apparatus and constrain same to return to the groove and seat. There may, furthermore, be provided about the forward end of the base a ledge or wall 25 to retain the game piece within the apparatus; and the upper surface of the base at this end may pitch toward the pocket 23, the surface further being recessed as shown to permit the upper surface of the pocket to be located substantially Hush with the surface of the base. Should the ball 24 for any rea` son, therefore. fail to return thru the groove 22 to the pocket 23, it will nevertheless be returned over the inclined portion of the surface.

In using the apparatus, a game piece, in the form of a marble or other spherical object which will roll, is placed in the pocket 23 at the one end of the lever 20; and the said lever is then actuated by giving the finger p-iece 21 at the other end a sudden blow, depressing thereby said end and causing the lever to assume temporarily the position indicated in dotted lines. The marble is thereby projected forwardly and upwardly in a curved path toward the inclined member, the object being to direct same into a particular pocket thereof. Vith the requisite skill and the exercise of proper care, the marble may be placed in any selected pocket; and the same will be given values in accordance with the difficulty encountered in projecting a marble therein. So soon as the marble enters a pocket, it will roll through same into the gutter 13 which returns and guides the marble to the groove 22 of the lever, the latter being pitched toward the ifi-ont of the apparatus so that the marble will be returned to the pocket 23 from which it was projected and u vof the openings 30, said cover being surrounded on three sides by a wall 34.

In F ig. 5, a further sin'ipliiication ot' the apparatus has been illustrated, in that the apparatus as a whole, and which is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4l, is arranged to be tilted. To this end, a fulcruni 35 is provided transversely of the bottom ot the base 3G which constitutes also the lever, and a portion or'linger piece 37 provided at thevshort leg of the lever projects beyond the casing 38, while the pocket 39 for the ballfis provided in the longer leg otthc lever and portion projecting 'from the opposite end of the casing.

L'In a game apparatus: a member proj videdwith a plurality of openings for receiving a spherical game piece, an inclined projecting portion located below the openings ,for throwing upwardly the spherical gaine piece into an opening and having a pocket to retain said piece in position for projection and also a groove aligned with the. said r,Openings for receiving therefrom the said piecepassing through an opening,

said groove communicating with the pocket for automatically returning the game piece to its original position for projection, and guiding means 'for returning the game piece Vto insure its relocation in the pocket;

2. ln a gaine apparatus: the combination of a base member, a member extending upwardly therefrom and providing a plurality of open pockets to receive a spherical gaine piece, a guide member communicating with the pockets, an inclined lever pivoted to the base member, associated with the guide member and haif'ing a pocket to retain the gaine pieceinposition for upward projection and having also a groove for receiving said game piece from Van: outlet of the guide member andfeommuiiicating with the lever pocket for automatically returning the game piece to insureiits relocation in the pocket. Y

3. ln a gaine apparatus: the combination with a base member, an inclined upwardlyextendingimemberopen at"its front face, and providing a series of parallel pockets',

open at the back, an angular guidevinember closing the back ot' said upwardlyextending ineniberfand communicating with the individual pockets, a lever pivoted to said base member` between its ends and extending be,VV

neath the said upwardly-extending member and guide member, Said lever havinga groove aligned with `the guide member and.

terminating at one end of the lever in a pocket tor a game piece, said leverpitching normally toward the pocket and adapted to be depressed at the opposite end.

Signed at New Yorkin the county -Vof New York and State of New York this 18th day.. oi January A. D. 1923.

CHARLES FRANKE.' 

